Hair trimming and cutting device



vDec. 6, 1955 R. T. A. BURKE 2,725,624

HAIR TRIMMING AND CUTTING DEVICE Filed April 20, 1955 INVENTOR United States Patent HAIR TRIMMING AND CUTTING DEVICE Richard T. A. Burke, San Diego, Calif. Application April 20, 1953', SerialNo. 349,660

3 Claims. (Cl. 30'-31) This invention relates to a novel device of. extremely simple construction. for trimming and cuttingv the hair, particularly on the neck and around the ears.

More particularly, it is. an aim of the present invention to provide a hair trimmer and cutter employing a conventional safety razor blade as the cutting element which is so constructed that it is substantially impossible to cut or nick the skin while operating. the trimmer and which is provided with means for accurately trimming the hair to a desired thinness.

A further object. of the invention. is to provide a hair trimmer having a guide portion. adapted to bear slidably against the hair and about which. the trimmer may be rocked for trimming hair to various. thicknesses by thev accurate positioning of, the cuttingedge. of the trimmer relatively to the skin surface over which the trimmer is moving.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a hair trimmer having a novel clamping element for detachably retaining a razor blade in an operative position in the trimmer.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully: apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodimentthereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the hair trimmer and cutter with a razor blade clamped therein;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1';

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure l, and i Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the lines 4-4 of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the hair trimmer and cutter in its entirety is designated generally 5 and includes an elongated body' member, designatedgenerally 6,v which is formed of relatively thin sheet metal and which comprises an elongated strip of metal which is folded back upon itself and substantially intermediate of its ends.v The endportions of the strip forming the body member 6 are narrowed relatively to the intermediate portion thereof' and said end portions 7 and 8 form the two plies or sections of an elongated handle 9 constituting one endof the body' member 6. The handle 9 has a flared inner end 10, formed by the two plies 7 and 8 where said handle merges with the head, designated generally 11, of the body member 6, which is formed by the intermediate portion of said aforementioned strip of metal. The handle sections or plies 7 and 8 are connected at the inner end of said handle by a rivet or similar fastening 12 which extends through the ply portions forming the inner handle end 10. The terminal portion of one of the handle sections, as for example the handle section 7, is provided with a restricted extension forming a lip 13 which is bent back around the terminal portion of the handle section 8'for securing said handle sections together at the outer end of the handle. The handle sections 7 and 8 are preferably provided with pressed out portions forming reinforcing ribs 14 for rigidifying. or. strengthening the handle.

The head 11 comprises a top wall 15 and a bottom wall 16. As illustrated in the drawing, the top wall 15 forms a straightextension of" the upper handle section 7; however, said' top'wall could be disposed at an angle to the plane-of the handle 9; The bottomwall 16 is disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the handle 9 and to the top wall 15 and converges-and merges with said top wall 15 at the outer or forward end of the head 11, defined by the fold of the metal. strip forming the body member 6 and designated 17. Said folded edge 17 defining the forward endof' the head 11 is provided with a series of transversely spaced notches 18 which are disposed longitudinally of'the head 11 and body member 6 and which are formed in the forward end portions of both the top wall.

15 and bottom wall 16 and which open outwardly of said forward: end or edge. 17. Said notches 18 define hollow teeth 19 therebetween having closed outer ends formedby the portions of the folded forward edge or end of the-head 11 located between the notches 18 and which hollow teeth constitute a part of the hollow interior of the head 11.

The head 11 is open at both side edges thereof, as indicated at 20 in Figure 4. The bottom 16, at a point relativei'y'remote from the forward end 17, is provided with an inwardly pressed portion forming an internal transversely extending rib, 21 which reinforces and rigidities said bottom 16 and for other purposes hereinafter tobe described. Beyond said rib 21, the bottom portion. 16 iscurved' inwardly toward the top portion 15v and merges with the inner end of the section 8 at the flared inner end versely aligned'portions 25; A pin or shaft 26 is disposed transversely across the outer side of the top wall 15 and has portions thereof extending under the pressed up portions 25 for retaining the pin or shaft 26 in its position of Figures 1 and 4.

A clamping member, designated generally 27; has an.

end- 28' secured to or journaled on the intermediate portionof the shaft 26' and is provided. with a turned back rounded portion 29 which is spaced from said end28 and which is, disposed in the hollow interior of the head' 11. A straight portion 30 of 'the clamp member 27 extends between said end' 28 and the rounded portion 29 and passes. loosely through the opening 23'. The remaining, longer free end portion 31 of the clamp 27' extends from the rounded portion 29 outwardly through the opening 23 between the shaft 26 and the end of the opening 23 which is located adjacent the inner or rear end of the head 11 and terminates in a handle portion 32 which is disposed outwardly of the top side 15 of the head.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the clamp 27, which is relatively resilient, may be swung counterclockwise from its operative position of Figure 2 to move the rounded clamping portion 29 thereof into or adjacent the lower end of the opening 23 and away from the bottom wall 16. A conventional razor blade 33 may then be inserted through either of the open side edges 20 of the head 11 and positioned against the inner side of the bottom wall 16, as illustrated in the drawing, with a cutting edge 34 thereof located in the hollow teeth 19 and against the inner side of the folded front edge 17 of the head 11. The other back edge or second cutting edge 35 of the blade 33 is disposed against the internal rib 21 which thus additionally functions to prevent the cutting edge 34 from being displaced away from the folded front edge 17. The head 11 is preferably of a width slightly less than the length of the blade 33 so that its unsharpened ends 36 may be held between the fingers for properly centering the blade in the head 11. The lever 27 is then swung clockwise as seen in Figure 2 from a released position with the clamping portion 29 thereof located adjacent the lower or inner end of the opening 23. As the clamp portion 29 swings toward the forward end of the head 11 it will engage the blade 3.3 and will yield toward the shaft 26 to slide past a portion of the lade which is located nearest said shaft 26 so that when the handle portion 32 assumes its position against the outer side of the top wall 15, as illustrated in the drawing, the rounded portion 29 will have passed forwardly to beyond the part of the blade 33 located nearest the shaft 26 so that the clamp will thus be latched in its operative position with said portion 29 yieldably clamping the blade 33 against the inner side of the bottom wall 16. It will be readily apparent that the blade 33 is released for reversal or replacement by merely swinging the clamp 27 counterclockwise as seen in Figure 2 and as previously described.

The strip of metal forming the body member 6 has been exaggerated as to its thickness and is actually very thin preferably being of a thickness of approximately .012 inch. In use, the hair cutter or trimmer is held by the handle 9 and the cutting or trimming stroke is executed in a downward direction on the neck or around the ears in the direction of the lay of the hair. The heel portion 22 rests against the hair and provides a sliding fulcrum guide on which the device 5 can be rocked to vary the spacing of the forward cutting end of the head relatively to the skin surface over which said forward end is moving for cutting or trimming the hair to a desired thinness. Thus, the heel portion 22 provides an effective guide surface to maintain the cutting edge 34 of the blade steady and at a proper spacing from the skin surface. The handle 9 is made relatively long so that the user when standing in front of a mirror and using a second hand mirror will not have his view of the work obstructed by the hand grasping the handle 9. Where close cutting is required as on the back of the neck and on the sides of the head back of the ears, the bottom surface 16 may be placed flush against the skin and the cutter 5 will then function similar to a safety razor and is capable of cutting substantially as close as a safety razor. Cutting and trimming operations may be accomplished with the hair and skin either wet or dry. The shielding of the cutting edge 34 by the closed outer ends of the hollow teeth 19 will make it substantially impossible for the device 5 to cut or nick the skin although the thinness of the material and the fact that the skin can be pressed slightly into the slots 18 will enable a very close cutting operation to be accomplished where required.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hair cutting and trimming device comprising an elongated body member, a hollow head forming one end of said body member and an elongated handle constituting the opposite end thereof, said head including a top wall and a bottom wall, said walls extending outwardly in converging relationship and merging at a forward end of the head, said top and bottom walls having aligned slots opening outwardly of said forward end of the head and defining transversely spaced notches and hollow teeth interposed between said notches, said head having an open side edge for insertion of a razor blade into the head against the inner side of said bottom wall and with a cutting edge of the blade disposed in said hollow teeth and notches, said bottom wall having an uninterrupted surface extending rearwardly from the teeth against which the blade is disposed, a resilient clamping member pivotally mounted on said top wall and extending into the hollow head for detachably clamping the blade against said bottom wall, said top wall having an opening in which said clamping member is swingably disposed, said clamping member having a rounded portion spaced from the pivot thereof and yieldably supported by a part of the clamping member relatively to said pivot, said rounded portion forming a blade engaging portion of the clamp and being swingable toward said hollow teeth as the clamp is swung to a clamping position for displacing the cutting edge of the blade into said hollow teeth and for clamping the blade against said bottom wall, said rounded clamping portion being swingable beyond the portion of the blade located nearest the pivot and toward said teeth in its movement to a fully clamped position, for yieldably retaining the clamp in a clamping position.

2. A cutting and trimming device as in claim 1, the portion of said bottom wall engaged by the blade being substantially flat and disposed at an acute angle to the plane and axis of said handle, said bottom wall having a rounded inner or rear end merging with an inner end of the handle and forming a heel portion, said heel portion forming a guide and depth gauge for the cutting device and about which the device is adapted to be rocked for regulating the cutting depth of the blade.

3. A cutting and trimming device as in claim 1, said body member comprising a single strip of relatively thin sheet metal folded back upon itself at a point substantially intermediate of its ends, the end portions of said strip forming the handle and the intermediate portion thereof forming said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,786 Perrone Apr. 16, 1912 1,077,530 Hauser Nov. 4, 1913 1,224,462 Harris May 1, 1917 1,541,624 Chute June 9, 1925 1,789,234 Keenan Ian. 13, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 65,916 Norway Mar. 8, 1943 537,598 France Mar. 6, 1922 

